Sweet Baby
by Juliette Evens
Summary: 15 years ago Abby made one of the hardest decisions that she had to make in her life. Now her choices and actions are called out on by the only person who would ever have the power to make Abby speechless, Natalie Evans. The one person who Abby has thought about every day for nearly 15 years. Together they embark upon a journey that could make their lives complete or end in tragedy
1. Chapter 1

**AN: The only thing that belongs to me is Natalie and her story, everything else else belongs to Shonda Rhimes and Co.**_  
_

_It was 7:48 in the morning in New York City Memorial Hospital, when the life of 17 year old Abby was forever changed. At 7:49 that morning she held her daughter in her arms. At 7:50 on the second of January 1998 she made the most difficult decision in her life, the one she had been thinking about for months- to give her baby up so she would never face the same life as her mother. On the fifth of January 1998 Abbey handed her baby over to the couple that would become her daughter's parents. On the sixth of January 1998 Abbey was discharged from hospital, her life to be changed for the rest of her life._

* * *

People are moving boxes around, there is a girl talking about buying a couch for a office, and a man giving her a look that says he could care less. "Excuse me?" I say and both of them spin around to face me, probably questioning how they never heard me coming.

"Ah... yes?" the women says, I turn to look at her since the man seems to be doing nothing but staring, the similar expression you would give if you never thought to see someone again. Weird.

"Yes, I'm looking for Abigail Whelan." I ask her, she looks at the man before she response to me.

"Follow me." She says and gives the last box to the man and then walks towards the door. As soon as she knocks two people turn around to look at her. One of them, she seems to be the boss because she looks ready to yell at the women standing just a little bit in front of me. I know who the other one is instantly, she's been in the photo that I hide in my draw since I was 12. "Sorry, but this girl here is to see Abby." She gestures to me. I look between the two taking this at my time to start to talk.

"Abigail Whalen." I ask even though I already know which one she is.

"Yeah?" Is the response I receive.

"This looks like a bad time" I say and truly it does she looks like she has been crying "but this is for you so bye." Artiuclate as always I think before I hand her the envelope and notice that the girl who was next to me has since disappeared, and then I walk out back the way I came in. Inside the envelope, there is a wide variety of things, a copy of a birth certificate, a baby photo, some documents, my phone number on a letter that I wrote. I shouldn't be to long before she puts all the pieces together. As I walk out onto the street I pull out my phone and make sure that its not on silent before continuing on walking.

I finally did want I promised myself for months, I found my birth mother.

* * *

"Well that was kind of strange." Olivia says from next to me "Do you know what that was about?" But I'm no longer listening, as soon as she walked away I had a feeling of who she was. Tearing open the envelope I notice that there are mostly just papers, documents, but the one thing my eye is drawn to is that there is a birth certificate sitting among the papers. Picking it up I realise that I was right.

"Her name is Natalie." I say to no one in particular, but part of me knows that Olivia has already seen most of the documents and is piecing the puzzle together. Harrison and Quinn are probably watching from outside. "Natalie Evans." Then I notice the photo, of a beautiful baby girl with curly red hair, smiling at the camera. This is her. This is my sweet baby. My baby, the one that is going to be 15 years old in January. My baby that I gave up. My baby that I just met without even realising it. My baby. Natalie.

"There's a letter Abby" I hear Olivia saying I turn to look at her, and she is pointing the only piece of paper, that is not covered in lawyer jargon or dated with age. It's hand written, in cursive writing. My baby's handwriting is so much like mine.

"A letter." I say picking it up slowly. There are a few small smudges covering the page, the investigator in me realises that she is probably left handed -definitely a trait she gets from her father then. I start to read:

_'Dear Abigail _

_I'm not to sure how to tell you this if I was being honest, but there is not really any point putting off the inevitable. You would have probably figured it out before I am even more than five minutes gone any way. My adoptive mother said that you were a quick thinker. But to confirm what you have probably already realised, you my mother. My birth mother, the one who gave birth to me in New York City nearly 15 years ago. I'm you daughter, Natalie. I know that you have a lot of questions, as do I. But I don't think that writing them in a letter will do, so I have enclosed my phone number at the bottom of the page. Maybe we could meet up or something ? I would like that. _

_From Natalie _

_p.s 0225734578_

Before I know it there are I am crying silent tears. I stand up and walk to my office, putting all the things down onto my desk. Before I know it I am ringing her number. Hoping to talk to my baby.

* * *

"What is happening, she's been looking out that window for nearly an hour." I hear Quinn say. Its really not any of her business but I can't help but think that same thing. Abby has been locked up in her office for the past hour, alternating between looking out the window and pacing the room with her phone.

"Guy's it's really not any of our business." I say as I walk up behind them. She looks like she is going to break, her break up with David took a lot out of her and then the child, who I can only assume had some connection to my friend shows up. Shocking her into silence and for as long as I have known Abby she has never stayed silent on an issue for long, until now it seems.

"Who was that girl? That was when all this weird stuff happened. She kind of looked like Abby as well. Are they related? She is our key." Harrison states, god they are never going to give up. I'm not even entirely sure what is happening, which is an uneasy feeling at best.

"Key for what?" Huck says as he comes around the corner exiting from his office, that's if you can really call it that, and office, more like a space where he keeps tools and old pieces of hardware.

"Abby's strange behaviour." Quinn states.

"Quinn I believe you have a office to sort out?" At her nod I add "Take Harrison and go a find that couch you were talking so much about. Huck, I want you to finish whatever it was that you were just doing. She needs space and staring at her though the window is not space. Now go!" As they leave I see Abby pick up her phone and hold it to her ear. I head to my office knowing that when she needs me, I'll be here for her especially when she starts the journey she is about to embark on.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Only Natalie belongs to me. **

It was lunchtime, and after battling my way though the crowds I had finally found a place to sit. It was a picnic table, no one was sitting there yet everyone still seemed to be crowded around the cafeteria buying food. Sitting down at the table I checked my phone - no messages - and pulled the seal off my orange juice. It had been nearly and hour since I handed the envelope to my mother, no my _birth _mother and she still hadn't called. It had taken me nearly 40 minutes to arrive back at school and I had missed periods one and two, as well as my study hall. Part of me thought that she would have come running down the street after me, hugging me until I couldn't breathe, saying she loved me and never wanted me to leave again. But that didn't happen. Instead I caught a bus at the bus station down the street and had spent 40 minutes checking my phone.

Maybe she didn't want me. Maybe she didn't love me. Maybe she wanted nothing to do with me. But… _I _wanted her. _I_ loved her. _I_ wanted a relationship with her. Maybe I was destined to be alone for the rest of my life. Considering I had been at this school for nearly a month now, yet I hadn't made a single friend, proof of the point was how I was always able to find a table by myself, even among the masses of people. Today was just turning out to be a bad day, nothing was going right. _And _I hated this school!

Lunch had 15 minutes left, and I had spent the most of it pulling my sandwich apart. I had eaten the crusts, and tomato but everything else lay in a pile on the plate. I hand't yet been to my locker, to collect my last period books, but then again I had really no intention of going to last period, it would be easier to explain my absence with a forged note saying I was sick, then to come up with some random excuses about why I just happened to miss three of my classes. Whatever I didn't particular care at this moment. I was tying to piece together my sandwich again when my phone rang. Wait my phone rang! Wiping my hands on the paper towel I picked it up. There was an unknown number ringing me. Pressing 'accept' I answered with a "Hello?"

* * *

I was greeted with a timid "Hello" she sound quite scared, unsure of herself. "Hi." I said back "Is this Natalie ?" I questioned I had to make sure that I had the right number. "Yes it is." I heard back with a bit of commotion in the background I wonder where she was. "Natalie I was wondering if I could meet you? Maybe take you out for coffee?"

I heard her giggling in the background "I don't drink coffee, but I would love some hot chocolate." I can feel myself blushing I should have thought of that, 14 year olds wouldn't drink coffee. "When are you free?" I ask her. I am meet with a short gap of silence before I hear her ask "Whenever, when are _you_ free?"

"Are you doing anything right now?" I question with my fingers crossed, hoping she would say no I needed to see my baby, to know that it was real that I did actually meet her. "No." she says before adding "Well nothing that is important anyway. So where do you want me to meet you?"

Where do I want to meet her? Somewhere that is going to be relaxing, and where we both stand on even ground. "How about the little coffee shop that is a block down from my work?" When she agrees I tell her the name, and that I will meet her there in a hour, because I really need to go home and sort myself out.

As I'm heading towards the door, I see Olivia sitting in her office. I should probably tell her that I won't be in for the rest of the day. I knock twice on the door before I enter. "Hey Liv, I was wondering if I could take the rest of the day off, since we don't have a case and all?"

"Sure, but is everything alright Abby?" Is everything alright? I met my beautiful baby after 14 years and I only have one answer.

"Everything is wonderful." I say before walking towards the elevator, on my way home.

* * *

"Harrison what do you think is going on with Abby?'" I ask him as we are walking around a furniture store. Harrison is currently lying prone across on of the couches, with his eyes shut. "I'm not sure, but I plan on finding out." He states "Who do you think that girl was?" he adds.

"A relative? Maybe a niece she hasn't seen in a while?" I answer him. "Quinn" he starts sitting up in the process "I have never seen Abby remain speechless for that long, this girl has got to mean more to her than some long lost niece." He's right no one would have that reaction to s niece, but nothing else fits

"Unless it's her long lost daughter." I say joking. Laughing Harrison stands up "Yeah but that would make her like 16 when that girl was born, and that doesn't really fit Abby's life style." Before I can answer him back he is walking out of the store calling over his shoulder "I like the blue one."

"Of course you do." I mutter under by breath eying the $3500 price tag, before running after him.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Only Natalie is mine.**

Standing in front of my mirror I inspect what I'm wearing. It needs to look perfect, and my first impression of meeting my daughter left more than what was desired. 'Meeting my daughter' I still cannot get over that phrase, I feel as if I'm in a dream about to wake at any moment. My jeans and a white top, added with my jacket seem to be give the look that I am trying to convey. I want to feel relaxed and hopefully that will also make Natalie relaxed. I'm hoping to find out about her past, ask her why she decided now to find me and any other tidbits of information I can absorb from her.

Checking the time I realise that I have to leave now otherwise I will be late. Maybe I can get there early and buy her that hot chocolate that she wanted. Locking up the apartment I begin to walking to meet my daughter.

* * *

The bus was 10 minutes late. The only time in my life that I wanted to be on time, and now I'm late. I hope that she hasn't left yet, because I'm not sure if that would be more depressing or awkward. I didn't have time to change, I would have like to wear something that wasn't jeans, maybe a dress. My Mum always said that first impressions count.

I arrive outside the door to the coffee shop. 'I hope she likes me' is all I can think. Taking a deep breathe I open the door and walk in. Looking around I notice that there aren't many people here, but then most people would be a work in the middle of the day. Abigail is sitting by the window, there are two cups on the table. It's now or never.

Walking towards her I realise that she is probably as nervous as me, she hasn't seen me in years and even then I was only for a couple of day maximum, and I've never met her. "Hi." say when I reach her table. She stands up when she hears me, "Natalie." She says smiling, well that must be a good sign. "Please sit down, I brought you a drink" she laughs nervously "Don't worry it's not coffee." I smile at that.

"Sorry I'm late" I begin while pulling out a chair to sit down "The bus wasn't on time." She smiles. "That's fine I just got here myself." I nod, yeah I totally called it, this is awkward. "So do you go by Abigail, or Abby? Because I had a friend at my last school who hated being called Abigail." I question her, Abigail does seem to formal and it doesn't really suit her. "Please called me Abby." She laughs, as I take a sip of my hot chocolate.

"So" She begins "I'm just going to come out and ask this, but do you have a good life? Did they give you everything that you ever needed? Things that I couldn't give to you?" Abby asks. I did have a good life, until the unimaginable happen a few months ago, when my whole life changed. "Yes I did, they loved me. They never hid that I was adopted, which I appreciated because I didn't have one of those meltdown that you see happen on TV." I laugh at that, and I truly am thankful because I always felt that I was never really truly apart of them, and when they told me I felt somewhat relieved. I discovered that I didn't love them any less, I just become more curious about my past.

"When did they tell you?" Abby asks with a questioning look. "They had been telling me since I was born I guess. But I never really understood what it meant until I was about eight." I reply. Abby is silent for a moment processing all the information until she gets this look across her face, one very similar to the look my Mum always gave me when I was in trouble. "Your 14." I nod slowly "Why are you skipping school?" _Shit. _

* * *

I wonder if I can get away with saying that we had a half day, I mean she probably won't know and it's not like she is going to ring the school or anything, she doesn't even know what school I attend. But I was at her work this morning… "Teacher planning day." I say shrugging, hopefully that will make it sound like it no big deal. "They give us the day off, to sit around 'planning' apparently." I use finger quotes the word planning, personally I think they just sit in the staff room gossiping.

"So they just give you the day off?" Abby questions, I nod. "Okay, well in that case I'm sorry for assuming that you were skipping school." Assuming- thats funny, she's right on the mark yet will never know it. "It's okay." I smile. "So your a lawyer? What's that like?" I always thought that being a lawyer would be fascinating proving yourself in front of a room full of people that you were right, and they were wrong.

"I am I lawyer yes, but I don't work at a law firm. It's a crisis management office, we are the place to come, when you think that there is not one else out there that could possible help fix the situation that you found yourself in. Harrison, one of the lawyers I work with refers to us as "Gladiators in Suits.'"

"That sounds pretty intense." I say after Abby has finished explaining what she does. "But also really interesting." That would be such a cool job to have, I wonder if I could come to her work and shadow her sometime. "What subjects do you take?" Abby asks. "History, French, Art, English, Maths, Social Studies and Science. I like History the best, always learning about how the past influenced the future." Seems like we may be over the awkward part of the meeting, hopefully it can stay like that for a little while longer. I'm enjoying this getting to know her, it finally feels like I'm not missing a part of me any more. I smile as Abby continues to explain the people she works with.

* * *

Does she want to know how much I love her, that giving her up was the hardest thing that I've done in my life. I'm surprised that she hasn't asked that, it would have been one of the first things that I would have questioned if I was in her position. Instead she asks me about my job, and what it is like to work in crisis management. Relaxed things, maybe my jeans worked after all. Natalie is wearing jeans, but they're black, we're dressed nearly the same actually. She bites her lip when she thinks about the answer to some of the questions that I ask her, its cute in a way.

Her eyes are still blue, just like in the photo I found in the envelope, her hair is seems curly but she is wearing it up, so I'm not entirely sure. Her father would be so proud, his little girl. I wish he was here to meet her, I'll have to give her a photo of him one day.

"I always loved you, you know. I want you to know that. There was never a day that went past that I didn't think about you." The smile has gone from Natalie's face. I would have waited till later before telling her this, but I don't know how long it will be until I see her again. Hopefully I will see her again, I don't think I could bare it if I didn't. She's my baby after all. She's chewing on her lip again, talking a deep breathe she asks the one question that I don't know how to answer.

"Why did you give me up then?"

**A/N: Reviews would be ****appreciated :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Natalie is the only character which I can take responsibility for.**

_'Why did you give me up then?_' The question resonates between us. How do I tell her why I couldn't keep her in a way that isn't going to seem like I didn't want her. No time like the present I guess.

"Your fathers' name was Ben and we had been dating since we where 14. It was late July of 1997 when I found out I was pregnant with you… We had this plan…"

* * *

_July 23 1997 _

_The two lines felt as if they were screaming at me. Positive. I couldn't believe it we had been so careful, always using protection. I was pregnant. My parents we sure to kick me out. My father would say that I was a disgrace, that I was taught better than to get myself knocked-up at 17. My mother wouldn't look at me. She would stand my my father's side when he told me to collect my things and leave. I needed to tell Ben, he would know what to do, being the more logical one out of the two of us. Pregnant I really couldn't believe it. Could I raise a baby at my age? Would I still be able to attend university? Would Ben support me with this? Because I knew for certain the my parent's wouldn't. I would need money to pay for medical bills. I currently only had $237.50 to my name. _

_Leaving the bathroom, I walked the short distance down the hallway to my room, with the pregnancy test hidden in my hand. I need to get out of this house for a while, to think things over without, but most of all I needed to see Ben. Changing into more appropriate clothing than my pyjamas, and filling a bag with a couple of books, I went to tell my father that I was heading to the library to study. He smiled at me and told me to "Be good." Before returning to his newspaper, my heart nearly broke. In reality there wasn't much more I could do to get myself in worse trouble. Walking out the door and down the little path, I checked that I still had the most incriminating piece of evidence that I could ever carry. The positive pregnancy test. _

_It took me 15 minutes until I was standing outside Ben's house, knocking on the door. I hope he was home I needed him home, so I could tell him that he was going to be a father. A father at 17. "Hey Ab's" He greets when the door opens. "You wanna come in?" _

_"Actually" I say "I was hoping that we could maybe go out and get some frozen yoghurt from that new place that opened up?" He laughs a little bit "Sure." He replies with, tells his Mum that he's going out, grabs his coat and closes the front door. He takes hold of my hand when we start walking._

_"So how have things been since your sister came home? She still doing the art course at NYU?" Ben questions. Beth my sister has dreams of becoming a world famous artist. "Dad says that she is wasting her time, that she should be taking commerce so she can find a good job after she graduates. I think that it's amazing that she was able to get Dad to pay for her course fee's when she takes a course he doesn't approve of." I answer "But then they have always liked her more than me." Ben looks at me I already know what he is going to say before he says it. "That's not true, I'm sure they love you both the same." Yeah in theory maybe, but not in reality. Not that my parents would ever admit it but everyone can see it. How Beth get expensive gifts for christmas, how Mum takes her out for time alone together, she really is 'Daddy's Little girl' in every meaning of the phrase. _

_"Yeah." I say just so we can move onto a different conversation. Ben takes about how he is going to tryout for the school's football team again this year, how he is not going to take Trig because he will never need to use it in real life. We're at the yoghurt shop before I know it, walking in I feel like some vanilla with strawberry's on top, while Ben gets chocolate with flakes of chocolate sprinkles. Before I can take out my money, Ben takes the pottle of yoghurt off me, tells me that he is paying and to go find a seat. There aren't many people here this morning, but thats probably because it's too early in the morning for all the teenagers to be up, and adults are spending the day with their families._

_I only get to take a couple of mouthfuls, before I have to tell him the secret that is burning inside of me. "Ben" I say "You would love me know matter what happens right?" I need to know this first, because I don't know how I would handle it if he left me. "Of course babe." he says "Are you alright? You look kind of pale?" I laugh at that, I have always been pale but I guess that my nerves are showing on my face. "Yes, I'm fine. I just need to tell you something." Tell him that his life is never going to be the same again. "What is it?" Ben says grabbing my hand "You can tell me." But I can't tell him, instead I pull the plastic stick from my bag, and give it to him. "I'm pregnant." I whisper. He looks shocked, his blue eyes are wide open. _

_"Ben? Please answer me, I didn't mean for this to happen." I am on the verge of crying now, his lack of reaction is scaring me. "But" he splutters "We always used protection. How does this happen?" How does this happen? I think he knows very well how someone gets pregnant. "I guess condoms aren't always 100%." Normally I would laugh at that, because everyone knows that they aren't. We learnt so in health class last year. "But you're on the pill." "And I was also on antibiotics last month for that infection remember." At his nod I continue "Antibiotics stop the pill from working. I said that we needed to be careful." _

_"Are we going to keep it?" he asks. I'm keeping it, not out of spite towards my parents, but because I have already started to wonder if he will have blue eyes like his father, or brown eyes like me. If his hair is going to be red, or blonde. If he will be right handed. "Yes, I am" I love him, I guess I think that it will be a boy. "Okay, I'm going to be with you all the way. We will get married, and raise her into the most beautiful little girl. She'll look just like her mother." I love this man I really do. "I guess we're going to have to tell our parent's then. When do you want to do that?" Ben asks me. "Never." _

_"Abby you can't keep this secret forever." He tells me, since when is he the expert on pregnancy. "Look I'm only a couple of months a long, can't we just wait a could of more months so we know that he will be healthy before we tell everyone." At his nod I pick up my spoon again and start to eat the yoghurt thats begun to melt._

_"Oh and it's a boy, not a girl." I tell him seriously. The only response I get is a quiet "We'll see."_

* * *

They were going to keep me. They did love me. But I ended up being adopted anyway. What happened between July 1997 and January 1998?

"What happened?" I ask Abby. Did her parent's force her into giving me up? I wonder if they did kick her out of her home. Maybe something terrible happened.

"Life happened." She answers with. Well that's totally specific, answers all my questions. NOT. "Were going to get married about four months before you were born. But it never ended up happening. I thought he had stood me up." Abby stops for a couple of seconds before she continues. "I wish he stood me up." Well that can't be good. "But on his way to City Hall, he was crossing the road, and this drunk driver lost control of their car. Ben died instantly."

My biological father is dead, I never knew him but I always thought the he would be out there somewhere. "He died?" I asked to me sure, I feel like I can't breathe like there is this heavy weight on top of my chest. "I had this vision of how I was going to raise you. And there were two parents, living in a house with a backyard and a fence. An annoying dog that barked at everyone who walked past. I never saw you with a struggling single mother, who was trying to make ends meet. So I looked into adoption and found the people your living with." Abby takes my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "But I need you to now that I never loved you any less. I have always loved you, and I always will."

I can't think, everything that has happened to me in the last couple of months comes racing back to me. The phone call, identifying them, my social working placing me with those horrible people. I can't be in here any more, I feel as if I'm being suffocated. Before I am fully aware of my actions, I have bolted out of my seat, running towards the door.

**A/N: Reviews would be appreciated :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Only Natalie and her story are of my creation, everything else belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

"She just ran off?" Olivia asks me the next day when I tell her about Natalie. "Did she say anything to you before she left?" I shake my head. Yesterday after I saw her jump out of her seat I followed her out, but by the time I was outside I didn't know which way she went, and there were the afternoon crowds starting to form.

"I did get a text message from her last night though." I say pulling my phone out of my pocket and bringing up the message. The message was simple: 'I'm sorry. Maybe we can meet up again soon?'

"I hope I didn't screw it up. What if she doesn't want to see me and was just being nice?" I say sitting down on the couch in Olivia's office. Natalie ran out of there pretty fast, I probably should have tried calling her. But she looked like she wanted to be left alone. I swear that I was never this hard to read when I was a teenager. "Abby you didn't screw it up, look you said that you told her about her birth father right?" I nod to Olivia's response "Then maybe she was just feeling overwhelmed, you don't know what other pressure she could be under." But I should know, I'm her mother and I don't even know what is happening in my daughter's life.

"I'm pretty sure that she skipped school as well, I mean she said that it was a teacher's planning day, but she wasn't exactly convincing when she told me." I tell Olivia. Then a thought appears to me "Maybe I should get Huck to run a background check on her." I started before sitting up and leaving the office to find Huck.

"Abby!" I hear as Olivia follows after me.

* * *

Four detentions in one day, that has got to be some kind of record. I wouldn't even have them if I had been more careful and left school around the back way, away from the staff room that is. Well at least I'll get all my homework done this week. Although this will cause a little bit of trouble with Ms Hughes, my guardian. But the less I spend around her the better. Next time I'm just going to have to be more careful. I practically throw the books I was carrying into my locker, before I check my timetable to find that I have History then lunch. Least I have one good class today, picking up my history textbook, I slam the locker door shut and walk towards my next class.

This day is turning out worst than yesterday, when I learnt that my biological father died and then I ran out on my biological mother. I bet that she doesn't even want to see me again, she probably thinks that I'm totally weird. Oh well, to quote Abby I guess that life happens. At least there is no way she will know that my parents died in a car crash, unless I tell her. Thats one good thing I think before I walk into my class, take my seat and start to listen to Mr Collis talking about what caused the Russia Revolution.

* * *

"Abby are you sure you want to do this, wouldn't it just be better for her to tell you why she left yesterday." I'm trying to convince Abby that it may not be the best idea to run a background check on the daughter that she has just met. "Won't that look like an invasion of her privacy when you tell her?" I question. "Who said that I was planning on telling her." Abby states not even turning around to look at me. I hear footsteps behind me and I am greeted with an amused looking Harrison, and a confused Quinn. Just what I need.

"What's going on here?" Harrison asks, like he has just found the most juiciest piece of gossip in all the world. "Abby's getting me to run a background check?" Huck states matter-of-factly. "Is this about the girl who came in yesterday?" Quinn adds. They can just not let anything go, normally I would appreciate that but now really isn't the time for them to start to use their initiative. "So who is she Abby? She must be pretty special to get you to go silent for more than a couple of minutes. Last time that happened Quinn had to yell at you." Harrison just gets to say before Quinn hits him on the shoulder.

"Are people not allowed some secrets here!" Abby starts "Quinn went around for two years using another name, we don't even know what Huck's real name is. Harrison was in prison, but nobody knows why. And Olivia has more secrets than the rest of us combined. Sorry Liv." Abby adds as an after thought. "So forgive me if I just want some privacy." Before any one can say another thing else on the matter Huck speaks up.

"Abby the results are in." He says looking at a lot of files the have popped up on his computer screen. "Well what does it say about her?" Abby snaps at him waiting for Huck to answer her. "Not a lot really, normal stuff, when she was born, where, who her parents are, schools she's attended. Looks like she's adopted, but has since been put back into the foster system. Received four detentions this morning" He check is watch before continuing "And it looks like she is in her fourth period history class." I look at Abby, she seems to be thinking something over which can't be good because she's biting her bottom lip.

"What do you mean has been put back into the foster system?" She questions Huck her eyebrows creasing slightly. "She already has foster parents." Everyone one is looking at her now, waiting to see what the answer is. I can only think of a few reason why someone would be put back into the foster system, if they're adopted as a baby. Neither situation I imagine is comforting. "She did until, a few months ago. Seems as if they died in some sort of crash. I'll take me more time to find out more specific details," Huck mumbles the last bit of the statement to himself.

Abby half-collapses into the seat next to Huck's desk. Looking around the room I note that both Harrison's and Quinn's eyes are wide. They must have put together the dots. Or at least figured out that they are some how related. It's a couple of minutes before Abby speaks again. "She's in the foster system? I was telling her about how her father died, only to find out that her parent's died a similar way. No wonder she ran out." Abby says but I have a feeling that she is talking mostly to herself. Everyone is quiet for a moment, not even the hum of of Huck's computer is heard. "I have to go speak to her." Abby says standing up, and walking out the door.

"Who is she Olivia?' Harrison says. Abby should tell them, "It's not my story to tell Harrison." I say before I walk out the door myself.

* * *

"What is going?" I ask Quinn and Huck, after both Olivia and Abby have gone. "I don't know anything apart from what Huck just said." Quinn replies the first to answer.

"I trust Olivia, and if she says that she doesn't want to tell us, then she doesn't tell us." Huck replies, before continuing to scroll through the information, no doubt trying to find out what sort of accident had occurred.

"Maybe she is her daughter after all." Is Quinn's departing statement before she leaves a well. Could it be true, does Abigail Whelan have a child that know one knows about?

**AN: Reviews would be appreciated, just so I know that people like the direction that the story is headed in. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I can only take credit for Natalie.**

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My baby was in foster care. She lost the parents who offered the stability in her life. The people kissed her goodnight, who made her breakfast in the mornings, cared for her when she was sick. Natalie had lost all of that, now she was most likely looking after herself, in a place where there are probably five other children living under one roof. Everyone knows how little funding the foster system gets, social workers not getting the pay which they deserve. It's alright for infants, because everyone wants a baby to love as their own, but the older you get the harder it is to be placed. Eventually people give up trying.

I wonder if I could get my parental rights re-established? I am her mother after all, she could come and live with me, I can offer her that stability. I should ask if she wants to meet up again today, then just confront her about it. But then I have to admit that I ran a background check on her… Maybe Olivia was right, Natalie could have just told me in her own time. But then she may have never told me anyway, and I would be believing that she was living with people who loved her dearly, not in a group home where there aren't enough resources.

Should I go to her school now, and pull her out of class and demand why she never told me? But she would probably close herself off, I know I would have if my mother demanded to know something about my life that I didn't want to tell her. But I can't keep letting her live in care, not when I can offer such a better environment. I should probably talk to a lawyer first and see if I can get custody… But why didn't they contact me when her parents died, I would have taken her in.

Sitting down in the chair, I log into my computer. I'm not going to take her out of school if I don't know that I can bring her home with me, that might just get her hopes up as well as mine only for them both to be destroyed. I need a lawyer that specialise in family court. Someone who can allow me to bring my baby home with me. I end up scrolling through a online version of the phonebook, when I stumble across Quinn's name.

Then it hits me, how stupid of me, I work with lawyers! Suddenly I have this uncomfortable feeling that I should apologise to Quinn for not believing her alibi at her trial about not calling a lawyer. Turns out you forget the most vital pieces of information when panicking. Quinn, used to specialise in family law. I wonder if I could ask her some questions about the situation? Or if it would be better to go outside the work place to avoid the cross over of personal and professional life?

There is another name on the list, a James Pearson. Clicking on his name I find that he has a excellent reputation to winning his cases, and he charges fairly reasonable. Picking up my phone, I decide that I do not need my two worlds intertwining anymore. Typing the phone number in I wait to be connected to his firm.

* * *

"Quinn wait, what makes you think that?" I hear Harrison call after me as I walk back to my office, my new office that is still in a state of disorganisation. I still haven't found a couch I like, although the $3500 one Harrison liked was nice, but it was to far out of my price range. "Quinn!" Harrison is standing in my doorway now, "What makes you think that the girl was her daughter?"

"Harrison don't you see it? They look alike, they have the same mannerism. Not to mention that Abby was over protective of her, and I have never seen Abbey that protective over anyone in the eight months that I have been working here. There's more to this story than face value." I say to him as I start to unpack a box of law textbooks, to put on the shelves in the corner of the room. It was true, in the few minutes that I met that girl yesterday, the way she was fidgeting and the way she spoke all reminded me of Abby. I'm amazing that Harrison didn't see it actually.

"I know that they look alike." Well maybe he did pick up on a few things "I'm just so sick of all the secrets that are in this office. And Olivia knows more than what she is letting on. Abby has probably told her the whole story by now,"

"Oh my god." I say connecting the dots "You don't care about the girl you just don't like being on the outside of the big secret." I say smirking at him "What ever happened to the Harrison that didn't care if there were things happening that he didn't know about. The one who didn't care if there were secrets in the office."

"That went out the window when we found out that you were on the run from the law, and Huck was involved in god knows what. And then there is Olivia who seems to know everything about everyone, yet know one knows a thing about her. Forgive me if my curiosity has gotten the better of me." Harrison says to end his mini speech, I have to admit it is pretty funny to see him so worked up.

"It's kind of hot when you get all worked up." _Shit _did I really just say that! I don't even remember thinking that, even if it is true. Harrison just looks at me, well at least he has stopped thinking about the - thing?- that is happening with Abby. He looks embarrassed. Just turn around and put the books on the shelf Quinn, if he wants to reply - or leave, he will.

"Well everyone knows that I am incredibly hot. That's why I make such a astounding lawyer." Harrison says after a few minutes of silence. _Is he flirting with me! Was I just flirting with him!_ When I turn around he is gone. What just happened?

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"So I need to talk to her social worker, and then see if I can get a arranged adoption? Once she has finished running checks on me? Why does the social worker even need to run a check on me if I am her biological mother? Also why didn't they ring me when she was placed back into the system in the first place, my name is on the original adoption papers anyway, that's most likely how she found me in the first place." I query as I take to Mr Pearson. Its a couple of moments before he replies, probably trying to think his way through all the questions that I just asked.

"Yes, go through the social worker because then this is all above board, and it cannot be used against you if there was ever a reason to. Ms Whelan they run checks on everybody to make sure that the environment that a child is being placed into is going to have the best outcome for the child. It has nothing to do with you as a parent or the fact that you are her biological mother. What they do is make sure that you have the resources to care for her. Not to mention that you worked for a high profile crisis management firm, and her parents didn't hid you from her, so she would have put the dots together. Maybe ran a google search. Is that all the questions you have Ms Whelan?" He questions me one last time, there is only one more that I need to know that answer to.

"Can I still see her, while this is getting worked out?" I need to see her hopefully sometime today, just so I can update her on the situation. I don't have to wait for his reply he answers almost instantly.

"Yes you can. Now we'll schedule another appointment for after you have spoken to her social worker. Goodbye Ms Whelan." With that he hangs up the phone. Well that wasn't too painful I guess, and he does seem to know what he is talking about. Now I just have to know that name of Natalie's social worker. That information may be easier to get though if I ask Natalie, and it would probably just be best to come clean about my 'background research' on her, start everything off on even footing. Hopefully she won't resent me for it. I only did it because I care about her.

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**A/N: I don't have a very good idea what the foster system is like in America, so please forgive any inaccuracies made. Does anyone feel that Harrison and Quinn would be good together, or should they just remain friends? As always reviews are appreciated, and thanks for reading :)**


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